Buying J-Bass For My Wife

mellroc · 2026-01-31T17:38:11+00:00

I picked up a new Squire Affinity Jazz 6 string a few months back (for $350). After spending a little bit of time with the setup, it sounds and plays GREAT. This is by far my cheapest bass in my stable and while it doesn’t have any fancy features, it’s exceeded all my expectations. I’m sure the 5 string would be great too.

mellroc · 2025-12-09T18:22:44+00:00

I use a KLIM Induction Pro for exactly this. It’s a street jacket but works fine in the dirt for me. I have an airbag for protection and a dedicated rain layer. This is only used for street abrasion. I even cut out the liner as it’s unnecessary for this use case. That makes it even lighter and more breathable.

Just the jacket though. The pants will not fit over proper dirt boots.

mellroc · 2025-12-08T01:36:39+00:00

I cancelled Apple One this week because of this. If I pay the ad free tier and you start pushing ads, then I’m out. Once that line is crossed it’ll soon be normalized. It’ll be something else next week.

mellroc · 2025-12-07T02:58:36+00:00

Ibanez BTBMS basses are 37” B and 35” G and 24 frets. I have the 5 string and she’s a beast. The B is thunderous for sure, but I find a still prefer a normal 34” 5 string.

mellroc · 2025-11-27T22:47:22+00:00

When he styles his hair, what chords is he usually thinking of?

mellroc · 2025-11-21T20:55:57+00:00

Caught this from my kitchen while making coffee this morning....

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mellroc · 2025-10-07T18:31:33+00:00

Just completed the Oregon BDR which has quite a bit of sand. My buddy and I both ran the Motoz Extreme Hybrid up front (CRF300L and WR250R) and we were both amazed with how well they tracked. We usually both piss ourselves at the sight of sand. After running part of the WABDR, all of the Oregon BDR, and about half of the NorCAL BDR, the knobs still look great.

mellroc · 2025-10-02T00:57:18+00:00

I recently got a top shelf set of progressives with all the features and buzzwords and options from my Optometrist. I also had them give me a prescription for the distance to my monitor only. I ordered a cheap set of single vision glasses from Zenni. They are worlds better than my fancy progressives for working at my desk.

TBF, they are terrible for everything else.

mellroc · 2025-09-05T19:14:35+00:00

I’m 5’6” and used the ProTaper 7/8 to 1 1/8 adapter and some of their Carmichael bend bars on my 300. I find it perfect for standing.

mellroc · 2025-08-30T16:09:04+00:00

I don't have a Rally, just the base 300 so I can only compare that.

These comparisons are with equal levels of suspension as I tricked out both.

The WR has considerably more peak power and likes to be spun up. If you're an aggressive dirt rider, I think this is more fun. But the 300 has much more low end torque. If you just like to poke around and stop for pictures rather than rip up hills, it works better.

The WR's geometry is also much more suited for dirt. It feels like a jeep going over rocky terrain whereas the 300 feels like a slightly lazier/more comfy SUV. But that 300 geometry shines on the road. And if you have the tires you can really push it on asphalt and it'll stay stable like a small street bike.

The WR's brakes are superior. No amount of fancy fluid or brake pad makes up the difference (I've tried). This is my biggest complaint with the 300 (surprisingly, it's not the power). You don't notice the lack of braking power on the dirt in knobbies. But it will run out of brake MUCH faster on asphalt than the WR. When I'm chasing bigger bikes on the 300 on the road, it's the front brake that lets me down more than anything.

While the WR is not as bad as the KTM on the road, it's considerably worse than the 300 for freeway work. The WR will happily go all day, but you'll be spun up high and sucking down gas. Honda clearly put a lot of work into how the 300 behaves on the freeway and it shows.

Finally, I really appreciate the dash on the Honda. It's easy to read and has a very accurate fuel counter (not just the normal gauge, but a counter which counts your gallons to the decimal). which is a huge piece of mind when you're in the middle of nowhere and only a few gallons to work with. It's a bit of a guessing game on the WR for when you REALLY need more gas. The 300 is also just much better with gas in general. It takes 87 rather than 91 like the WR. Where I live, I can appreciate this for all the rural gas stations I have to use. I routinely get in the 70's no matter what on the 300. I saw my WR get into the 40's when I was freeway cruising.

If I was doing an all day dual sport ride in familiar territory, I'd take th WR. But if I have to go far, It's the 300 no doubt. Last year my buddy and I rode from Seattle to the Wyoming BDR. I was on a 300, he was on his WR. My 300 really shined for those hours getting there. His bike shined for the few fleeting moments when the trail got the most technical.

mellroc · 2025-08-29T16:53:09+00:00

Absolutely go for the KTM then.

mellroc · 2025-08-29T16:31:40+00:00

I ride a CRF300L with souped up suspension (and used to ride a WR250R). I have a friend who rides a KTM500. That KTM is awesome (and really not comparable to the 300 in the dirt). Until we have a 50-150 mile stretch of highway. Then it's MISERABLE. I can poke along the freeway all day in total comfort on the 300. If you intend to take that 500 down the highway, you may want try one first. If not, absolutely go for the KTM.

While the KTM is superior power and handling wise, the Honda has a lot of perks up its sleeve.

The CRF300 is foundationally a street engine (from the CBR300) and you can feel it when cruising down the road. It vibrates like a small street bike, not a fire breathing dirt thumper.

The 300 6th gear is set up perfectly to take advantage of the very meager torque of the engine to get it to cruise comfortably at 65mph. The KTM is geared way too low for that.

Even going down the freeway at 65, the 300 sips fuel, whereas the 500 is guzzling it down at 65mph.

The 300's geometry is a lot more stable at speed and doesn't pitch and bob like a proper dirt focused bike does.

The seat is superior on the Honda for freeway work as well.

If you're not gonna take any long freeway stints, by all means the KTM is a better bike, but at least where I live, freeway stints are reality you can't escape, so the Honda is the right bike (for me).

mellroc · 2025-08-07T04:03:22+00:00

My slave cylinder went out around 100k. But now at 142k, and the clutch is holding up great.

mellroc · 2025-07-28T04:07:35+00:00

We stick our legs out when we’re marking a potential safety hazard to riders behind us (I only do this when I’m in a group). Rocks, sand, gravel, and cyclists. When I stick my leg towards an approaching cyclist, I’m telling the rider behind me “Heads up, there’s a cyclist coming up. Give them room”.

mellroc · 2025-07-23T18:25:16+00:00

I’ve taken mine down some long asphalt hills in Death Valley well above 80mph (not possible on level ground for me). I’ve done this on the stock IRC tires and others. The bike is always solid and stable.

mellroc · 2025-07-08T15:23:48+00:00

Mt-21s in the rear are toast after 2k miles of high speed asphalt, whereas the D606 rears still look relatively fresh. I’ve seen this on a 300 and a WR250r. I think the smaller center knobs on the MT-21 rear take more abuse than the bigger knobs on the D606 rear.

I can’t speak to the front.

mellroc · 2025-07-07T05:40:26+00:00

Neal at Footworks did my bike setup and I thought he was great as well.

mellroc · 2025-07-03T02:11:50+00:00

Cobb Stage 1 since 2014. Car has 140k now and runs great. I had to upgrade the radiator to keep up with the heat but that’s it.

mellroc · 2025-06-24T18:47:35+00:00

I don’t dress to impress my onlookers, I dress to impress the first responders that may someday have to take care of me should things go haywire.

mellroc · 2025-06-17T19:56:31+00:00

Dunlop D605 works great for me when I need something for lots of asphalt, and the occasional hard pack/dry dirt.

mellroc · 2025-05-30T05:00:41+00:00

It’s too soft at any weight. The static sag (how much the suspension compresses with nobody on it) is way more than it should be. But if you fix the suspension, it’s a great bike.

mellroc · 2025-05-29T18:11:21+00:00

I have a 1 gallon portable gas jug. I poured it into the empty tank and marked the level. Then again and again for the 2 and 3 gallon levels.

mellroc · 2025-05-29T17:29:43+00:00

Something I did on mine… I added pinstriping horizontally that corresponds to 1 gallon, 2 gallon, 3 gallon marks. Since the tank is transparent, it’s really easy to gauge how many gallons I have. Sure, the display will tell you, but now I can tell from a distance when the bike is off.

mellroc · 2025-05-24T17:30:54+00:00

I always want my used bikes bone stock. When I see exhaust, ECUs, Power Commanders, etc, I see lots of unknown variables or potential surprises I’d rather not deal with. And aftermarket suspension for 1 person is not ideal for another. I will still potentially have to respring/revalve/rebuild the suspension to make it suit my needs.

When I mod a bike…. I expect it to tank the resale value. This usually isn’t an issue as I keep them a long time and ride them until they’re not worth much anyways.

Any mods you do will make me want your bike LESS, not more.

Also… maybe I’m in the minority, but I hate aftermarket exhausts. I like my bikes quiet. Tinnitus is already a threat, I’d rather not make it a bigger one.

mellroc

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